Everyone, thanks for the great suggestions! What I was looking for was
an attitude adjustment so I could look forward to this flight, and you
guys have helped provide it. I've fallen into the habit of thining of
the plane as a tool and I've even gotten in the habit of thinking in
terms of nm per dollar rather than knots. Not good.

A few notes:
Thanks for the clarification on 61.129(a)(4)(i). It does not say it
has to be VFR. 61.129(a)(4)(ii) does, however, so the 10 hours at night
can't be under IFR. The regulation is...interesting. I had one
instructor that was fond of saying night flying is instrument flying,
regardless of the rules you fly under. I usually think of it that way.

Also, I do almost always log (in addition to the weather, kind of
approach used, etc) who came with me on a trip in my logbook, what we
did, etc. I use my logbook as a little bit of a history of my life. You
can tell who I've dated from the past five years from it. It may be
good idea to stop using it that way, split that stuff out, and make my
official logbook clean.

FYI . I'm starting in Palo Alto, CA. I was thinking of heading to the
Oregon boder and back. Never been up there before.

Finally, I should get a dog.

-- dave j